Trust Issues
by berryfuls
Summary: Olivia and Lincoln after 6B. "The idea that I can see you for just a couple hours every day is worth living to me. And you can't tell me that you're not worth it because you are. Okay?" Over-There fic. Oneshot, Lincoln/Alt-Liv


**This is an idea I've had roasting in my head for quite some time and I quite like it. It takes place after "6B," with only-if-you-squint references to "Subject 13." This is the 2nd pairing I ship the most, behind only P/O. ;)**

**Enjoy! :)**

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They sit across from each other, trying to find the upper hand in their conversation.

"Liv, I'm telling you. It's me, your best friend. The person you've known longer than practically everyone else you know," he whispers. "It's me. Why can't you see that?"

She shakes her head desperately. "Look, I just don't know anymore. Frank left me. You could as well." Her eyes flicker from his to the coffee table between them. "I know what you're thinking. And I'm telling you, it's possible. It's possible for you to leave me too."

His gaze narrows. "Really? You think that? Liv, I haven't dated anyone since I've met you. You had Frank the entire time. And then you had whoever the baby's father is, and you don't even trust me enough to tell me who he is!"

"It's not that I don't trust you, Lincoln. I do. If I told you, I would be fired." She looks up at him again. "You'll find out soon enough." Her hand grasps the wine glass filled with grape juice and she takes a sip from it. The tart, purple liquid stains her lips, but it's a thousand times better than the raw burn of alcohol.

So it would be fitting for him to have an identical glass in his hands, with the same juice from the same bottle. "I'm your boss. I'm fairly certain you can tell me. I can keep a secret!"

She smiles for a fraction of a second. "No, you can't." She hesitates before explaining. "You know these cases we investigate together? The vortexes? The wormholes? They all go somewhere. Another universe. With people just like us, but different. I went there for… quite some time, to get info about their side. To help our universe survive."

His forehead screws up in confusion. "That's impossible. The longest you were gone was the time you were in the DOD's headquarters. It was a few days at the longest."

"That wasn't me. That was her. The Olivia from the other universe. Brainwashed to be me." She closes her eyes and sighs. "You haven't met the real her. Her whole life has been haunted by who-knows-what. Whenever I think my life sucks, I just think how must worse hers has been. I'm lucky really."

"And the baby's father?"

"Her partner. Peter Bishop."

"Peter Bishop? As in _the_ Peter Bishop? The Secretary's son? Or the other one?"

"No, the real one. The one over there died shortly before the one over here was stolen. He was taken over there. She came back when he was found again to take him back, because she couldn't live without him. I met her. Sometimes it makes me feel guilty for ruining her life like this. I wonder if she knows about him and me." She pauses and blinks back tears. "I wonder if she hates me, blames me. And most of all, I wonder if she ended up with him. She deserves him after all this."

"Olivia, this isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for this. You were doing your duty and that's what matters."

"Lincoln… I started to fall in love with him. When he found out… he threatened to kill me if anything had happened to her. He loves her. And yet…"

He stands and crosses over to sit beside her on the couch. She allows herself to fall against him. "And yet, you're pregnant with his child."

"Exactly. And the Secretary is planning on using that to his advantage – to get his son back. But I realized something over there. Their Walter Bishop is kinder to Peter than our Walter Bishop could ever dream of being. The years of trying to track down his son has hardened his soul. But over there… he's just desperate to never lose Peter again if he can help it."

"I can kind of understand that."

"Lincoln…"

"Just hear me out, okay? We're back to square one. It's me. It's not Frank, it's not Peter, and it's no one besides me. And it will always be me. You are the reason I do everything I do. You're why I get up in the morning, drive through rush hour traffic. The idea that I can see you for just a couple hours every day is worth living to me. And you can't tell me that you're not worth it because you are. Okay?"

She blinks and looks up at him. "I… I don't know what to say… Frank-"

"Don't even bring up his name. He _cheated_ on you. I saw him one night with someone else and I never told you because I didn't want to hurt you. You wouldn't have believed me because you didn't trust me." He sighs. "You still don't believe me."

"I do believe you. It's just that I can't be mad at him – I cheated on him as well."

He shakes his head and stands up. "Look, Liv. I can't stay here and just watch you hate yourself. I'll call you in the morning if you're feeling less self-pity." He walks to the door, turning around only to be surprised by a hug. He puts his arms around her and holds her tight.

"Lincoln. Sometimes I want to hate you. Then I remember that I never could."

He chuckles. "Same for you."


End file.
